Cantor honors five SU faculty, staff with her firstChancellor’s CitationsMarch 01, 2005Matthew R. Snydermrsnyder@syr.edu
In a March 1 ceremony at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center, SU Chancellor Nancy Cantor presented five faculty and staff members with Chancellor’s Citations for Distinguished Service, Exceptional Academic Achievement and Outstanding Contributions to the University’s Academic Programs. The Chancellor’s Citation is one of SU’s highest honors, given each year to recognize the outstanding contributions made by faculty and staff to the University’s mission. The 2005 awards are the first to be given by Cantor.
The 2005 honorees are: James A. Boeheim Jr., head coach, men’s basketball; Bethaida Gonzalez, acting dean, University College; Margaret G. Hermann, the Gerald B. and Daphna Cramer Professor of Global Affairs and director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, as well as professor of political science; Margaret Himley, associate professor of writing and rhetoric, Writing Program; and M. Cristina Marchetti, professor of physics
Recipients of the Chancellor’s Citation received a special art object created by a member of the faculty in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, together with a citation statement recognizing their accomplishments. They were honored in the company of colleagues, family and past recipients of the award.
James A. Boeheim-Chancellor’s Citation for Distinguished ServiceThrough example, instruction and leadership, Jim Boeheim has worked to make those around him stronger. In 28 years as head coach of the men’s basketball team, he has turned hundreds of his players into stronger athletes on the court, stronger students in the classroom and stronger individuals in the community. Through his philanthropic work, he has helped several local and national organizations become stronger in their efforts and results.
“Jim has become, for many, the face of Syracuse University, the greater Syracuse community and, indeed, all of Central New York,” says Joyce Hergenhan ’63, member of the SU Board of Trustees’ Executive Committee and longtime friend of Boeheim’s. “Not only is Jim one of the most successful college basketball coaches in history, he is also the world’s biggest cheerleader for the school and the Syracuse area.”
Boeheim has been associated with the SU Athletics Department since he enrolled at the University in 1962. He was a non-scholarship student-athlete at first, but by senior year was a team captain on the men’s basketball team. He was hired as an assistant coach at his alma mater and in 1976 became head coach.
During his tenure, Syracuse has had one of the most successful men’s basketball programs in Division I, never having had a losing record. Boeheim has led the program into the NCAA tournament 23 times in his 28 years, including three NCAA Championship game appearances-in 1987, 1996 and Syracuse’s first NCAA Championship in 2003. A three-time Big East Coach of the Year, he has been honored as District II Coach of the Year nine times by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
Throughout his coaching career, Boeheim has helped advance many of his assistant coaches to the ranks of head coaching, including Rick Pitino, head men’s basketball coach at the University of Louisville; and Louis Orr, head coach at Seton Hall University.
Not only has Boeheim fostered a winning environment on the court, he has encouraged and supported his student-athletes’ efforts to be involved in the community. The men’s basketball team is one of SU’s most active community partners and participates in numerous public appearances and fund-raising activities.
Boeheim’s fundraising activity has included lead involvement with Coaches vs. Cancer, a national cooperative fundraising program of the NABC and the American Cancer Society. The annual Coaches vs. Cancer “Basket Ball,” organized by Boeheim and wife Juli Boeheim, has developed into one of the most successful charitable events in Upstate New York. “Jim Boeheim has done more for the Coaches vs. Cancer program than any other coach in the country. Not only has he helped raise over $2.6 million for the American Cancer Society since 1997, but he has also brought hope and determination to cancer patients everywhere,” says Jim Satalin, director of Coaches vs. Cancer. “Jim is a Hall of Fame coach both on and off the court.”
Boeheim has also done charitable work with Make-A-Wish, the Kidney Foundation, Children’s Miracle Network, Multiple Sclerosis, Pioneer Center for the Blind and Disabled, Lighthouse,
Easter Seals, People in Wheelchairs, Special Olympics, Cystic Fibrosis, the Rescue Mission, Crouse Hospital and the Jack Bruen Fund. In 2005, Boeheim will receive the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center’s Inspiration Award for his efforts to raise awareness about prostate cancer and support cancer prevention education. The Inspiration Award is presented annually to someone who offers hope to cancer patients and survivors.
“Jim Boeheim’s career has developed into one of legendary proportions,” says Jake Crouthamel, former SU athletic director. “He is a remarkable coach not only for his considerable successes on the basketball court but that he has been able to sustain that success for so many years-and all at his alma mater. That fact alone is legendary.”
In recognition of his many contributions, SU officially named the Carrier Dome court “Jim Boeheim Court” in February 2002. In 2000, he received a George Arents Pioneer Medal, SU’s highest alumni honor.
Bethaida Gonzalez-Chancellor’s Citation for Distinguished ServiceDuring her career at University College (UC), Bethaida “Bea” Gonzalez has woven together service to the college and service to her greater community. Colleagues who nominated Gonzalez for the Chancellor’s Citation say she is tireless in her advocacy for University College’s part-time learners and in promoting diversity in the greater community.
Gonzalez becomes UC’s acting dean in March upon the retirement of Dean Charles K. Barletta. She has served in a variety of management positions at UC over the past two decades, including associate dean for student services, executive director of HEOP, associate director of admissions, program administrator of the master’s of social science program and executive director of community and public service. Within the greater community, she is president of the Syracuse Common Council and serves on the boards of numerous civic organizations.
“Bea has devoted her career to the part-time learner and has extended herself in every way possible to address the very special needs of this population,” says Susan Donovan, dean of admissions. “Her advocacy for part-timers has resulted in ‘one-stop’ services for those who are not routinely on campus. She has created services and assembled the kind of caring staff that has made the University College experience one of welcome and understanding.”
Last year, Gonzalez launched a dialogue circle for the staff of University College through the InterReligious Council’s Community Wide Dialogue program to foster greater cross-cultural understanding. Each semester, she participates in Professor William Coplin’s PAF 101 class by sharing her perspectives on the city of Syracuse and offering advice on, and assistance with, the facilitation of community projects the class undertakes.
“Bea is unusual for her passionate yet sensible approach to working to improve the University and the community,” says Coplin, professor of public affairs in the Maxwell School and director of the Public Affairs Program in The College of Arts and Sciences. “She is an important contributor to Chancellor Cantor’s commitment to explore the ‘Soul of Syracuse.’ If there ever was someone deserving of the honor of the Chancellor’s Citation for Distinguished Service, it is Bea.”
Alejandro Garcia, professor of social work in the College of Human Services and Health Professions, says Gonzalez has worked long hours through the years to help part-time, non-traditional students move through their degree requirements. “Many of these students remember Bea as a beacon that guided them through their studies, but she was more than simply an academic advisor-she was an important mentor and role model for them.”
Garcia says Gonzalez has often spoken to his classes about her experience as a Latina in Central New York, and advocated extensively for the creation of SU’s Latino Studies Program.
“Bea’s contributions to the University and to the larger community go considerably beyond her official duties,” says Garcia. “In doing so, she has reflected positively on the University’s credibility with the Latino community and the larger Syracuse community. She is part of that essential soul of Syracuse University that has helped this institution meet its social commitment to the community.”
Margaret G. Hermann-Chancellor’s Citation for Exceptional Academic AchievementMargaret “Peg” Hermann evokes words such as “whirlwind” and “inspiration” from those who know her. Her energy and enthusiasm have made her a leader in the field of political psychology-indeed, she is recognized as one of the creators of the field, as well as being a leader in political science and international relations.
“Peg Hermann is a scholarly whirlwind, carrying others along with her in a warmly engaging enthusiasm for creative research,” says J. David Richardson, professor of economics and Gerald B. and Daphna Cramer Professor of Global Affairs in the Maxwell School.
Hermann is professor of political science and director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs. “In large part through her efforts, the institute has successfully competed against its counterparts at numerous American research universities to receive a prestigious grant from the European Commission to house a European Union Center,” says Jeff Stonecash, political science department chair. “She has made this institute an increasingly important asset of the University.”
That enthusiasm is passed on to her students. “Peg gets so excited about her research and has so many interesting stories from the field to tell that many of her seminars become quite animated and buzz with energy,” says Lina Svedin, a doctoral student in political science. Svedin adds that she applied to Maxwell at Hermann’s encouragement. “In a sense my experience, interacting with Peg at a conference in Estonia and then deciding to pursue graduate studies and move from Sweden to the United States, is typical of how Peg works. She has a knack for scouting junior talents, never missing an opportunity to connect people, interests and resources.”
Stonecash points out that her high energy level has allowed her not only to develop academic interests in general political science and two of its subdivisions, political psychology and international relations, but to establish an impressive publication record in all three areas. She has published four articles in the American Political Science Review, five articles in International Studies Quarterly, and five in Political Psychology, each the leading journal in its area, he points out, while few faculty get even one article accepted by these prestigious publications. She has also published six books, with several more in progress. “These remarkable accomplishments led to her being designated in 1999 as a Gerald B. and Daphna Cramer Professor in Global Affairs shortly after she arrived at Syracuse University,” he says.
Hermann founded the International Studies Review (formerly the Mershon International Studies Review) in 1993 and edited it for the first five years. “She has done such an outstanding job on this task of being the gatekeeper for quality scholarship that for the first time in the history of our association, we asked her to return for a second round of editing the journal,” says Thomas Volgy, executive director of the International Studies Association. She was also president of the association in 1998-99.
According to Stonecash, “perhaps the most telling indicator of her work is that she is recognized outside the academy as of enormous value for providing insights into the political psychology of world leaders. She serves as a regular consultant for government agencies to help them interpret the nature and likely inclinations of foreign policy leaders.”
Hermann has also been active in the SU community, co-chairing the Academic Plan SPIRE Committee on Citizenship and Social Transformation in 2001-02 and chairing its second iteration, the Transnational NGO Initiative, from 2003-05. She was also a member of the search committee that led to the hiring of Chancellor Cantor in 2004.
Margaret Himley-Chancellor’s Citation for Outstanding Contributions to the University’s Academic ProgramsAccording to her colleagues, Margaret Himley is an invaluable resource who exemplifies a rare combination of exceptional qualities and whose hard work far exceeds her required job duties.
Director of undergraduate studies and associate chair of the Writing Program since 2000, Himley has worked at SU for 21 years. In that time, she has made extraordinary contributions to the strength of the Writing Program’s academic initiatives.
Himley spearheads the Writing Program’s Diversity Initiative, which falls outside her responsibilities. The initiative requires that by Fall 2006 all sections of WRT 105 and WRT 205 give serious attention to diversity issues by exploring existing pedagogy and developing models for teaching issues of diversity.
“Margaret is a visionary, but is also willing and able to do the hard day-to-day work needed to get things done. She inspires others by creating an exciting atmosphere of intellectual inquiry and engagement,” says Carol Lipson, chair of the Writing Program.
Colleagues also note that Himley devotes her personal time and attention to graduate students, even those outside her program. Students often tell Lipson how Himley generously reads through their drafts, helps them get past writing blocks or assists them in rethinking theoretical or methodological problems.
“I can honestly say that Margaret has been the single most influential individual in my pedagogical and intellectual development,” says Mary Queen, a doctoral candidate and teaching associate in the Writing Program. “She has a reputation among graduate students in our program as being the faculty member who asks the really tough questions, the ones that require difficult and often uncomfortable thinking.
Yet, Himley’s contributions extend far beyond her everyday responsibilities of overseeing undergraduate curriculum. Himley is first and foremost a committed and engaged activist and intellectual who demonstrates her principles in action.
An activist and leader in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community on campus, Himley serves as a mentor, advocates for campus support of the LGBT population and continues to take on increasingly visible leadership roles to help SU address issues of difference within its community.
Since Fall 2002, Himley has provided guidance and direction as co-chair of the University
Senate Committee on LGBT Concerns, where she has played an integral role in each of its milestones. Under her leadership, the committee received two Vision Fund grants and started a process of self-study and curriculum development to infuse LGBT knowledge and perspective into curriculum. Last year she helped organize a Transgender Teach-in and a highly successful regional conference on LGBT studies. This semester, the committee is working to initiate a minor in LGBT studies.
“Her tenacity, interest in responding thoughtfully and creatively to current and pressing social issues and her ability to listen to others has transformed perspectives and taken the committee and SU to new and exciting places,” says Adrea Jaehnig, director of SU’s LGBT Resource Center.
Himley’s activism extends into the local community. She has served as a volunteer teaching women’s studies and writing to female inmates at the Jamesville Correctional Center and at The Learning Place, a community adult literacy program.
For more than 25 years, Himley has been involved with the Prospect Center, a national network of educators committed to observation and description as the basis for teaching practice and inquiry. She has been the driving force for publishing Prospect’s processes and philosophy through a series of books.
“It is only because of Margaret-with her extraordinary talent for collaborative work, her focused energy and her tenacious commitment-that this ambitious program of publications has moved from idea to reality,” says Prospect Center founder Patricia Carini.
M. Cristina Marchetti-Chancellor’s Citation for Exceptional Academic AchievementAfter coming to the U.S. as a Fulbright-Hays award-supported graduate student in the early 1980’s, M. Cristina Marchetti’s arrival in the physics world was immediately felt. Her early work, on the analysis of complex fluids, continues to shape modern approaches to the subject. Later, her theoretical work on the complexities of vortex matter in superconductors led to her acknowledgment as a leading scientist in the field.
When she came to SU as an assistant professor in 1987 from the University of Illinois-Chicago, still very much in the early stages of her career, she was already recognized as a very accomplished scholar. She had only just begun.
“The study of the revolutionary electrical properties of the high-temperature superconductors discovered in 1987 has become a substantial field of theoretical and experimental activity around the world. Cristina’s seminal series of papers on the dynamics of vortex lines insuperconductors is an underpinning to the contemporary understanding of this problem,” says Eric A. Schiff, associate dean and professor of physics in The College of Arts and Sciences.
Born in Pavia, Italy, Marchetti now fields invitations to speak around the world. She has given lectures in India, Italy, Israel and France, as well as across the U.S. She has served on numerous prominent advisory committees and boards, including for the National Science Foundation, the American Physical Society, the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics in Santa Barbara and the Boulder Summer School in Condensed Matter Physics. Marchetti was previously elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society.
“She is highly regarded for her teaching, notably in our courses in general physics, modern physics, and statistical mechanics. She has also been a highly effective advisor of undergraduate and doctoral students, and postdoctoral research associates. In recent years, Cristina’s signature has been her ‘Modern Physics’ course, normally taught to physics majors in the third semester of their introductory sequence. A number of students have said, during exit interviews, that this was the best course they had at SU,” says Edward Lipson, professor and chair of SU’s physics department.
In recognition of the high caliber of her research and teaching, Marchetti was recently awarded a prestigious William R. Kenan, Jr., Professorship. In 2003, SU’s Department of Physics honored Marchetti as its outstanding teacher of introductory physics.
“Cristina’s inspired and deep work clearly qualify her as one of the top academics in physics internationally and as an exceptionally accomplished professor here at Syracuse,” says A. Alan Middleton, associate professor of physics at SU.
Marchetti received her Laurea in physics cum laude from the University of Pavia in Italy, and her doctorate in physics from the University of Florida. She held postdoctoral positions at the University of Maryland, Rockefeller University and City College of CUNY, and then served for one year as assistant professor of physics at the University of Illinois. She joined SU as an assistant professor in 1987, was promoted to associate professor in 1992 and to full professor in 1997.
